A technology of an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) or the like is proposed which allows a host vehicle to perform a tracking travel in a predetermined distance between vehicles with respect to a preceding vehicle. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a vehicle travel control apparatus which controls a transmission of a vehicle transmission gear using a variable speed level or a speed change ratio for a relatively low speed, and thereby properly controlling a distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle in front of the host vehicle. The travel control apparatus includes a preceding vehicle deceleration degree detection/estimation unit which detects or estimates a deceleration degree of the preceding vehicle, and a variable speed level/speed change ratio selection unit which selects the variable speed level or the speed change ratio of the transmission gear during a transmission control, based on the deceleration degree of the preceding vehicle.